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Foolscap folio

Foolscap folio is a traditional paper size originating in Europe during the fifteenth century, typically measuring 8 by 13 inches (203 by 330 mm) in the United Kingdom and 8½ by 13½ inches (216 by 343 mm) in the United States, folded from a larger uncut sheet to form a single fold for writing, printing, and bookbinding purposes.^[1]^[2] The name derives from a common watermark depicting a jester's cap and bells, which appeared on papers of this approximate size starting in the mid-fifteenth century and became particularly associated with English writing paper by the seventeenth century. Historically, foolscap folio emerged as part of the irregular traditional paper sizing systems in Europe, where dimensions varied by mill and region but centered around the watermark's standardization for identification and quality assurance. In England, it gained prominence in the 1600s as a versatile format for official correspondence, legal documents, and literary works, with early examples including watermarked sheets used in the printing of Shakespeare's plays around 1623. Legend attributes the adoption of the fool's cap design to Oliver Cromwell in the mid-seventeenth century, who reportedly replaced the royal arms on government paper with this emblem to symbolize humility or mockery of monarchy, though the watermark predates this period. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, foolscap folio became a staple in the British Empire and North America for government records, account books, and office use, often cut to precise imperial measurements like 13¼ by 16½ inches for the full sheet before folding.^[3] In the United States, it aligned closely with early colonial printing needs, as seen in documents like drafts of the Declaration of Independence, which matched the 8½ by 13½-inch format.^[2] Its aspect ratio of roughly 1:1.625 allowed for efficient filing in cabinets and binders, making it ideal for bureaucratic purposes until the mid-twentieth century.^[3] The widespread adoption of the ISO 216 standard in the 1960s and 1970s, particularly A4 paper (210 by 297 mm), led to the decline of foolscap folio in most regions, though it persisted in some legal and archival contexts in the UK and Commonwealth countries into the 1980s.^[3] Today, it is largely obsolete but available from specialist mills for historical reproductions or custom printing, preserving its role in understanding pre-metric paper traditions.^[3]

Definition and Origin

Watermark and Naming

The foolscap watermark depicts a jester's cap adorned with bells, often shown in profile with a collared neck, originating as a distinctive emblem on European handmade paper in the late 15th century. The earliest known examples date to 1479 in Germany, where it served as a maker's mark to identify the paper's producer and quality.^[4]^[5] During the 15th and 16th centuries, the watermark evolved as a proprietary symbol for specific papermakers across Europe, particularly in mills that exported to international markets; French producers, for instance, frequently incorporated a seven-pointed collar variant to denote their output.^[4] By the 17th century, as paper production standardized, the foolscap design proliferated in various forms, including modifications with five- or nine-pointed collars, and occasional additions such as heraldic arms or regional motifs to distinguish individual mills.^[6]^[7] The term "foolscap" became synonymous with a specific paper size by the late 17th century, detached from the watermark itself, with the first recorded designation of "foolscap" as a folio format appearing in English sources in 1699.^[8] This naming reflected the watermark's widespread association with sheets intended for folding into folios, though the size designation persisted long after watermark designs varied or were replaced.^[9]

Early Introduction

The introduction of foolscap paper to England marked a significant advancement in domestic papermaking, brought by German artisan John Spilman, who established the nation's first commercially viable mill at Dartford, Kent, in 1588 under a royal patent from Queen Elizabeth I. Spilman imported skilled workers from the continent and focused on producing fine white writing paper of continental quality.^[10] In the Elizabethan era, foolscap paper quickly became valued for its smooth texture and durability, serving as a preferred medium for official documents, legal writings, and early printing presses, including those affiliated with the Stationers' Company, London's guild regulating the book trade. This adoption reflected England's growing reliance on standardized, high-quality paper amid the expansion of bureaucracy and literature under Elizabeth I.^[11] By the 17th century, foolscap had established itself as a standardized format through consistent production at mills like Dartford and references in contemporary accounts, alluding to its everyday premium status. Reinforcing its position as a luxury writing material for scholars and officials.^[12] The technical production of early foolscap involved labor-intensive hand-molding: linen rags were sorted, boiled, and beaten into pulp, then scooped onto wire frames (moulds) embedded with the distinctive fool's cap watermark, which not only identified the sheet's maker but also guaranteed uniformity and superior absorbency for ink. This rag-based process, free from wood impurities, ensured the paper's clarity and longevity, setting it apart from imported brown alternatives.^[11]

Dimensions

Standard Measurements

The standard imperial dimensions of foolscap folio paper are 8.5 × 13.5 inches (216 × 343 mm), obtained by folding the full uncut foolscap sheet measuring 13.5 × 17 inches (343 × 432 mm) once to halve its longer dimension (parallel to the shorter side) to yield two leaves.^[13]^[14] Full sheet dimensions varied by region and use; in the US, typically 13½ × 17 inches (343 × 432 mm), while in traditional British writing paper, 13¼ × 16½ inches (337 × 419 mm).^[3]^[1] In the traditional British context, particularly for writing paper, the dimensions are slightly smaller at 8 × 13 inches (203 × 330 mm).^[1] Within the broader imperial paper size hierarchy, foolscap folio occupies a position below demy, the latter standardized at 15.5 × 20 inches (394 × 508 mm) in some traditional British book and drawing applications, though printing demy was larger at approximately 17¾ × 22½ inches (451 × 572 mm), reflecting the progression from smaller mould-based sheets like foolscap to larger formats such as imperial at 22 × 30 inches (559 × 762 mm).^[1] This hierarchy underscores foolscap's role as a mid-sized option derived from uncut sheets smaller than demy and post formats.^[15] Due to the handmade nature of historical paper production, dimensions exhibited tolerances of approximately ±1/8 inch (3 mm), accounting for inconsistencies in mould sizing and drying processes.^[13] The folio designation itself refers to the single fold that halves the sheet to produce two facing leaves of equal size.^[14]

Sheet Folding and Cutting

The folio format involves a single fold of a full sheet of paper, producing two leaves and four pages when printed on both sides, in contrast to the quarto format, which requires two folds to yield four leaves (eight pages), or the octavo, which uses three folds for eight leaves (sixteen pages).^[16]^[17] In production, an uncut full foolscap sheet measuring 17 × 13.5 inches (432 × 343 mm) is folded once to halve its longer dimension (parallel to the shorter side) and then trimmed to achieve the final folio dimensions of approximately 8.5 × 13.5 inches (216 × 343 mm), allowing for shrinkage during drying and finishing.^[3] Historical wire molds for hand-laid paper typically featured 15 to 16 ribs per sheet, creating a textured laid pattern that influenced the sheet's uniformity and strength.^[18] Papermaking for foolscap evolved from hand-laid processes dominant in the 15th through 18th centuries, where sheets were individually formed in vats using single or double molds, to machine-made production in the 19th century, which introduced greater uniformity in texture and dimensions through continuous web formation.^[19]^[20] For efficiency, colonial American and European mills commonly employed double molds, which produced two sheets simultaneously—either end-to-end or side-by-side—as documented in 18th-century ledgers from moldmakers like N. & D. Sellers, who recorded over 340 pairs of such foolscap molds between 1788 and 1824.^[18] These practices directly determined the resulting standard measurements of the foolscap folio.^[3]

Historical Development

In Europe

Foolscap folio, introduced from Germany in the mid-15th century via the distinctive fool's cap watermark on handmade paper, evolved significantly in European usage from the 18th century, becoming a staple for official and printing applications across the continent.^[6] In the United Kingdom, the size achieved widespread adoption for government and legal documents during the 18th and 19th centuries, serving as the standard for parliamentary materials such as House of Commons reports and Command Papers.^[21] This preference stemmed from its suitability for folding into legal formats and its availability from local mills, ensuring consistency in bureaucratic records. By the early 1920s, however, economic pressures led to a Treasury circular mandating a shift to smaller octavo sizes for Command Papers, marking the beginning of its decline in official printing.^[21] The format was equally prominent in 18th-century British printing, where it was commonly employed for books and pamphlets due to its balance of economy and readability when folded into octavo or quarto editions. This application extended to pamphlets and scholarly texts, reflecting foolscap's role in the era's expanding print culture. By the 17th century, it had already gained prominence in England for official correspondence and literary works. Foolscap folio's decline accelerated in the mid-20th century with the adoption of the ISO 216 standard, which promoted the A series for uniformity in international trade and administration; in the UK, official use was fully phased out by the 1970s in favor of A4.^[22] On the continent, variations of the size—often under local names like "pro patria" in Germany and Holland or "tellière" in France—persisted for archival and legal purposes into the early 1900s, as evidenced by production records from Dutch mills such as those in the Zaan region, which continued manufacturing compatible sheets for diplomatic and historical documentation.^[23]

In the Americas

In the American colonies, foolscap paper was introduced through British imports during the 1700s, serving as a key medium for printing newspapers and legal briefs amid growing colonial publishing efforts.^[24]^[25] By the late 18th century, local production emerged in Pennsylvania mills, such as those documented in early American paper trade records, where foolscap writing and printing paper became part of the output alongside other varieties to meet domestic demand.^[26]^[27] In Mexico, foolscap folio is known as "papel de oficio," standardized at 8.5 × 13.5 inches (216 × 343 mm), and has been a staple for government forms and bureaucratic documents since the 19th century, reflecting its role in official administration under post-independence governance structures.^[28] This size persists in limited contemporary use for certain legal and administrative paperwork, though it faces partial displacement by letter size (carta) in modern digital and standardized printing contexts since the 2010s.^[28] The evolution of foolscap in the United States saw its half-sheet variant (approximately 8.5 × 13.5 inches) influence the development of legal size paper at 8.5 × 14 inches, formalized in the 1920s through the efforts of the U.S. Bureau of Standards' Committee on the Simplification of Paper Sizes for court documents and official records.^[29] Meanwhile, the full foolscap sheet, measuring around 14 × 17 inches in some American adaptations, found application in 20th-century crafts and artistic projects, leveraging its larger format for creative layouts and printing.^[30]

Modern Usage and Equivalents

Regional Standards

In the Philippines and Indonesia, foolscap-like paper sizes, such as F4 at 215 × 330 mm (approximately 8.5 × 13 inches), remain in use for school and office supplies, reflecting retained post-colonial influences from British imperial standards into the 21st century.^[31] In Singapore and Malaysia, the foolscap size of 203 × 330 mm (8 × 13 inches) is recognized alongside ISO A4 in national standards for notebooks and forms, supporting continued availability for educational and administrative purposes.^[32]^[33] In India, foolscap persists as a legacy size for certain legal and educational applications, though the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has largely transitioned to ISO 216 formats since the 1980s. IS 5195:1969 references foolscap as a non-standard size for school stationery, now replaced by A-series equivalents.^[34] Overall, partial retention of foolscap sizes occurs in these developing Asian regions due to established infrastructure and cost efficiencies in local production, while national standards bodies like BIS in India and SIRIM in Malaysia document ongoing shifts toward ISO A4 for international compatibility and reduced waste.^[34] The F4 paper size serves as a metric approximation of the traditional foolscap folio, measuring 210 × 330 mm, which closely mirrors the original's proportions but adjusts the width to match the ISO A4 standard while retaining a similar length.^[35] This format emerged as a transitional size during the shift from imperial to metric systems and has been adopted as a de facto standard for printing in Southeast Asia and Australia since the 1970s, offering compatibility with both legacy equipment and modern ISO-based workflows.^[35] In the United States, the legal paper size of 8.5 × 14 inches (216 × 356 mm) represents an elongated derivative of the foolscap folio, extended by one inch to accommodate typewriter margins and legal document formatting needs.^[29] This adjustment was formalized through standardization efforts in 1921 by a joint committee on paper sizes, which aimed to unify inconsistent imperial formats prevalent in government and legal offices at the time.^[29] Among other imperial remnants, the brief size at 13 × 16 inches (330 × 406 mm) relates directly to foolscap as its unfolded double-sheet equivalent, originally used for legal briefs in British practice and influencing early American office standards.^[36] By the 1990s, such legacy sizes contributed to the broader transition toward ANSI standards in the US, including the adoption of ANSI/ASME Y14.1 in 1995, which rationalized engineering and architectural formats while phasing out irregular imperial variants like brief in favor of scalable series such as ANSI A through E.^[37] Foolscap folio's aspect ratio of approximately 1:1.6 has notably influenced the design of non-ISO sizes in printer software and hardware, where custom profiles for formats like F4 and legal ensure proportional scaling without distortion in digital printing applications.^[38] This ratio's persistence in transitional metrics facilitates backward compatibility in regions retaining hybrid imperial-metric systems, allowing software to handle elongated sheets efficiently alongside dominant ISO or ANSI equivalents.^[38]

References

[1]
Old English Paper Sizes
Old English Paper Sizes ; Duchess, 6 x 4½ ; Foolscap Folio, 13 x 8 ; Foolscap 4to, 8 x 6½ ; Large Post 4to, 10 x 8 ; Large Post 8vo, 8 x 5.
[2]
Roger Sherman's Draft Copy of the Declaration of Independence
The document measures approximately 13.5 inches by 8.5 inches, corresponding with eighteenth-century foolscap folio paper size and was written in black ...
[3]
Foolscap Size & Dimensions For The Old British Imperial Paper Sizes
As you can see from this table the true size of Foolscap is 13¼ x 16½ inches. The paper that used to be commonly used in offices, which was called Foolscap, ...
[4]
The watermark collection of Canon Ludwig von Büllingen - NGV
Jul 2, 2024 · Two pages are devoted to foolscap watermarks. These symbols represent court jesters and the examples in the album date from 1479 to 1742.
[5]
Friday, 21 April 2017 - St Cuthberts Mill
Apr 21, 2017 · However, the earliest record of foolscap paper can be dated back to 1479 in Germany. It was named after the fools cap and bell's watermark which ...
[6]
Rembrandt's watermarked papers at the National Gallery of Victoria
The Foolscap watermark is an emblem of the court jester and likely originates from Germany. An early example is found in 1340 and by the mid 16th century the ...
[7]
Listings – Watermark and countermark library
The origins of Heawood's source papers range from 1610 to 1718, demonstrating that the 'Foolscap' watermark was, essentially, a style of the 17th century.
[8]
The Business of Books: Watermarks - J. Willard Marriott Library Blog
Oct 24, 2025 · Named after a jester's cap and bells, the Foolscap mark was commonly used on paper measuring about 8.5 × 13.5 inches from the fifteenth century ...
[9]
Watermark1B - Mother Bedford
Marks such as the foolscap, hand, post and pott came into use in the 1400s (for example, the 'foolscap' mark can be traced to the year 1479). After these ...Missing: Heiligenberg | Show results with:Heiligenberg
[10]
Early Modern: Industry - Paper making - The Dartford Town Archive
England's first commercially successful paper mill making good-quality white paper was established on the River Darent at Dartford in 1588. That year, John ...Missing: foolscap | Show results with:foolscap
[11]
Making paper :: Life and Times :: Internet Shakespeare Editions
Paper was made by hand from old rags, usually linen. The rags were ... Foolscap the smallest 45 by 31.5 cm (17.5 by 12.5 inches). The size of the ...
[12]
Wednesday 11 July 1660 - The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Jul 11, 2003 · Sheets of foolscap perhaps? Did Sam go home to look for paper, and finding none, had to borrow some? ✹New since your last visit. vincent on ...48 Annotations · First Reading · Second Reading
[13]
Traditional Paper Sizes - Vintage Paper Co
Mar 16, 2019 · It measures 297 x 210 mm every time you buy it because it's a standardised size whether or not you buy it in the UK, Germany or Portugal. Some ...
[14]
Measures used in different trades
Of British printing paper there are 14 sizes, ranging from foolscap 17 ins. by 13 1/2 ins., to double post, 32 ins. by 40ins; of writing and drawing papers, 17 ...
[15]
https://papersizes.org/old-imperial-sizes.htm
[16]
Folio - Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America
Definition. when two leaves (four pages when printed on both sides) were printed on a sheet so that it could be folded once, collated with other folded sheets ...Missing: single | Show results with:single
[17]
Paperfolding - The Renaissance Artisan Project
Nov 8, 2018 · Folded once, it was folio (four pages on two leaves); twice, it became quarto (eight pages on four leaves); thrice, octavo (16 pages on 8 leaves); ...Missing: format | Show results with:format
[18]
[PDF] The Size of the Sheet in America: Paper-Moulds Manufactured by ...
As for imported paper, foolscap becomes pro patria in Holland, telliere in Erance, and propatria in Germany, all with slightly different dimensions.'^. Varying ...Missing: origin | Show results with:origin
[19]
Laid Paper | Independent Online Booksellers Association
May 17, 2016 · Before about 1800, all paper was made by hand. By 1820, most paper was machine made, although a few high-quality papers continue to be made ...
[20]
https://www.audubonart.com/the-language-of-paper-deciphering-the-secrets-of-antique-paper-through-its-material-qualities/
[21]
None
### Summary of Foolscap Size and House of Commons/Government Documents in Command Papers (1920s)
[22]
Paper - Metrication UK
Foolscap Quarto, 6.5 x 8.0, 152.4 x 203.2, 1:1.2308. Foolscap Folio ... Imperial paper sizes were replaced by the ISO 216 A series paper sizes in the 1970s.Missing: phased 1960s
[23]
[PDF] Watermarks in paper in Holland, England, France, etc. in the XVII ...
Writing paper of the size given above became known in England as foolscap, and continues to bear that name. The foolscap watermark is no longer seen but has ...
[24]
https://xtf.lib.virginia.edu/xtf/view?docId=2003_Q4/uvaBook/tei/b000983226.xml
[25]
1767 Detail, British Parliament Passes the Townshend Acts, Pre ...
For every ream of paper called Second Ordinary Printing Fools Cap, six pence three farthings. For every ream of any other paper called Fools Cap Fine, not ...
[26]
American Paper Mills, 1690-1832 : A Directory of the Paper Trade ...
1806: double foolscap laid, watermarked PB and bell; Sellers Moulds Ordered, 14 Jan. 1812: post vellum, watermarked PB on corners; Sellers Moulds Ordered, 24 ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[27]
[PDF] THERE was a paper shortage in the American colonies even
Prior to 1765 most of the paper used in the colonies was imported, and the struggling colonial paper mills, mostly located in Pennsylvania, were.
[28]
Paper Sizes | ManufacturingET.org
Jul 27, 2011 · The origins of the exact dimensions of “letter” size paper (8+1⁄2 × 11 in or 215.9 × 279.4 mm) are lost in tradition and not well documented.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources
[29]
Ambiguous: the History of Legal Sized Paper - Law Library Guides
May 4, 2011 · These large sheets were known as foolscap. Legend has it that lawyers would simply cut the foolscap in half and use the sheets for official ...
[30]
definition: foolscap - Rick McCharles
Jan 30, 2010 · A full foolscap paper sheet is 17 by 13.5 inches (431.8 mm × 342.9 mm) in size, and a folio sheet of any type is half the standard sheet size.
[31]
Paper size - PApublishing
Jan 1, 2020 · In Indonesia and also the Philippines, “F4” paper is slightly broader: 215 × 330 mm, i.e. essentially Foolscap 8.5 × 13 in. In Indonesia ...
[32]
[PDF] STANDARD - MySol
Two paper sizes are included, namely ISO A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) and foolscap folio. (203 mm x 330 mm). The inclusion of the latter paper size follows from its ...
[33]
Guide to Paper Sizes and Dimensions or Formats for Printing
Guide to Paper Sizes and Dimensions or Formats for Printing ; Dukes. 140 mm x 178 mm. 5.5 x 7 in ; Foolscap. 203 mm x 330 mm. 8 x 13 in ; Imperial. 178 mm x 229 mm.
[34]
[PDF] IS 1064 (1980): Paper Standard Sizes
The purpose of this standard is to rationalize and redu.ce the varieties to achieve improved coordination of paper sizes -for various, end uses, such as letter.
[35]
[PDF] IS 5195 (1969): Paper Stationery Items for Schools
May 1, 2003 · crown, foolscap and other non-standard sizes of papers. In this stand- ard the size and the quality of paper used for making different types.
[36]
Transitional Paper Sizes | PA0, PA1, PA2, PA3, PA4, PA5, PA6, PA7 ...
Transitional paper sizes include the PA series (e.g., PA4) and the F series. PA4 is 210x280mm, and F4 is 330x210mm. PA4 is used by many international magazines.
[37]
Origins of Paper Sizes - British Origami Society
"Foolscap" is reputed to have been so called because it was the right size of paper for folding into a fool's or dunce's cap. British sizes of papers were ...
[38]
Standard Paper Sizes - ISO and ANSI Formats - The ANSI Blog
The two standard paper sizes for letter paper, ANSI A and ISO A4, are close in size, at 8.5”x11” & 8.27”x11.69". Learn more here.
[39]
What is the difference between A4, Foolscap, Letter & Legal Paper
The old UK imperial Foolscap Folio paper is 7mm (0.3") narrower than A4 and 33mm (1.3") longer than A4. Its overall area is 0.005 square metres (approx 0.006 ...Missing: 1960s | Show results with:1960s